Accurate energy calculations for buildings are a cornerstone of designing sustainable energy systems and meeting environmental targets. Yet, the data we rely on to calculate expected energy use in buildings is outdated, incomplete, and often fails to capture the complexity of real-life energy use.
This project addresses these gaps by exploring the potential of synthetic data, i.e. data generated with artificial intelligence, to improve energy predictions for heating and cooling systems in Sweden’s built environment. Synthetic data offers a way to fill the gaps left by traditional methods of data collection, which can be expensive, intrusive, or too narrow to capture the diversity of energy use. Through collaboration with stakeholders such as municipalities, energy consultants, and researchers from different disciplines we will explore how synthetic data can improve our understanding and prediction of energy use with diverse perspectives in mind. By simultaneously exploring new technologies and ethical methods for using AI, this project will contribute to research on both energy calculations and fair use of AI in a broader perspective. This research will support better decisions about building design and energy systems, ultimately contributing to more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive housing for the future.
Collaboration partners include Fatemeh Johari, Uppsala university, Erik Telldén, LiU, Fredrik Karlsson, Sweco.
